1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems for manipulating data generated by computer software programs and displayed on a computer monitor screen, and more particularly, to a method of superimposing a graphical image on a primary image for annotating the primary image so that the graphical image conveys information about the primary image.
2. Description of Related Art
In the worldwide business community, communication between individuals or groups of individuals that does not require face-to-face interaction is becoming increasingly important. With the increasing sophistication and popularity of personal computers and world wide computer networks, such as the INTERNET and the WORLD WIDE WEB, communication, such as meetings, between a number of individuals located at a plurality of geographically remote locations is expanding. Computers comparably equipped with commercially available communication hardware such as an ETHERNET data interface, ISDN port, or modem, that allows data transmission between the comparably equipped computers, are emerging as a means for facilitating communications, such as teleconferences between geographically remote locations. Additionally, support for threaded communications, wherein all parties in a desired discussion are not simultaneously participating in the discussion, and which does not require travel, expensive communication systems and equipment, or extensive training is desired by the business community.
Known teleconferencing and communication systems typically require expensive, dedicated, and proprietary computer hardware and software at each remote location participating in the conference. Further, parties participating in the conference at each remote location, must be in attendance at each location while the conference is being conducted. Simultaneous attendance of the parties increases the complexity of hardware, software, and scheduling of the attendees which adds to the expense and inconvenience of teleconference meetings.
Often teleconferencing and similar communication types are limited to either phone lines or a Local Area Network (LAN). The necessity for either expensive dedicated and proprietary hardware or software, or combinations thereof, has limited the attractiveness of these communication systems as a cost effective communications tool. Since these systems typically operate in closed environments, where lower cost commercially available hardware and software are prevented from integrating into the system, maintenance adds to the high cost thereof.
In addition to the low cost feature provided by networking computers, a network of computers affords another advantage over proprietary teleconferencing systems. Any conference participant potentially has the capability to transmit an image displayed on the screen of their computer's monitor to the other members of the meeting. This image may be created by manipulating data on a senders computer to form the image. It would be advantageous to enable the sender to annotate the image with relevant commentary, then transmit the annotated image to the other members of the meeting. After transmission of the annotated image, participants of the meeting can then discuss the annotated image with the sender, since each participant is viewing the annotated image.
In traditional meetings, a speaker stands in front of an audience and utilizes an overhead projector, for example, to project on a screen some set of prepared visual slides, often called foils or transparencies. During the discussion, the speaker marks up the transparencies in response to comments or questions, which results in transparencies that become increasingly difficult to read. Additionally, when the transparency is removed from the projector, members of the audience either mark their own copy of the slide, which is usually paper, or prodigious notes need to have been taken on what the marks meant.
With increasing regularity, these transparencies are often generated by a computer. In striving for a "paper-less" workplace, it would be advantageous to provide a presentation means that directly utilizes the computer for more than just document generation.
There have been a number of attempts in the prior art toward achieving these goals. Image annotation systems in the prior art often include the disadvantageous feature of simply overlaying textual information on a primary image. The overlaying textual information or notes tends to substantially obscure the underlying image and lacks annotation position, type, and annotation sorting information that can be conveyed with graphics, color coding, graphic display, or blinking, for example. Several prior art annotation systems further lack the ability to transmit the annotation information across communication lines such as the Internet, the World Wide Web, or LANs.
One such prior art attempt of an image annotation system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,578, to Levin et al., which is directed to an apparatus for document annotation and manipulation using images from a window source. Disclosed therein is a data processing system that provides annotation of a document through an electronic tablet, keyboard, and an audio assembly. A document to be annotated is generated by a window generated by a multiwindow program running on the processing system. The annotatable document may be also generated from a whole screen view of overlapping windows produced by the multiwindow program. Annotated documents may be stored and retrieved in a database of the multiwindow support program.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,560, to Bartlett, is directed to a computer system and method for displaying images with superimposed partially transparent menus. The computer has an operating system that generates and displays a first set of images on a display screen and a menu generating program that displays a control menu comprising a partially transparent stippled image having a list of menu items. When the control menu is superimposed over the first set of images, the first set remains visible on the display below the control menu. The menu generating program logically ANDs predefined control menu images with a halftone screen to generate the stippled control menu.
U.S. Pat. No. RE. 34,476, to Norwood, discloses a hybrid information management system for handwriting and text recognition. The disclosed system is used with special input hardware that provides the benefits of computerization to handwritten as well as keyboard entered information. The input hardware consists of a transparent digitizing table mounted atop a flat panel display screen, such that a user can handwrite directly upon the display screen with the pen. This process closely mimics how people annotate paper documents using hand written notes.
However, a disadvantage of the disclosed system is, that using handwritten comments superimposed on displayed graphical images could result in commentary that is virtually unreadable and potentially interferes with details of the graphical image itself. Another disadvantage of the system is that screen capture is limited to the display area and accommodates only those images that are generated by the software disclosed therein. A further disadvantage of the device, is that there is no provision for marking an annotation on the display using a small secondary image whose position, among additional aspects thereof, relative to the displayed image is meaningful.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,319, to Tanenbaum, is directed to a full-duplex video communication system. Described by Tanenbaum are terminals that each include dedicated hardware that consists of a transmitter, a receiver, control means, input means, and display means, and computer software for operating the system. The control means enables changing of each display at each remote terminal in real-time, so that each terminal is displaying the same information at the same time. Thus, users at each terminal can interact with other users at the other terminals without having to wait for one user to complete entry of information. However, a disadvantage of the disclosed system is that there is no accommodation for utilizing distinct, secondary images generated by independent processing, annotating the display with the secondary images, and then replicating the annotated display among the set of participating display means. Another disadvantage is that all participants must be available at the same time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,654, to Bertino et al., is directed to a portable computer with verbal annotations. The computer comprises a voice conversion unit and a hard disc for data storage. An annotation command permits the visual display on a screen and the leaving in the text of a linkage track for a verbal insert datum.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,307, to Young, discloses controls for drawing images on computer displays; U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,727, to Cantanzaro et al., discloses an image and audio communication system having graphical annotation capability; U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,036, to Hauck, discloses a display control apparatus and method of using same; U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,818, to Warnock, discloses a method of substituting fonts and displaying characters; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,359, to Van Den Heuvel et al., discloses a bulletin board resource for communication system access.
While the above enumerated prior art references have improved features, it would be advantageous to provide a method of superimposing a graphical image on a primary image for annotating the primary image so that the graphical image conveys information about the primary image and to add annotations to be shared among a work-group.